MY ACCOUNT
Manchester United plumbed new depths in the context of the Premier League era by collecting just 58 points this season and it will be fascinating to see how they fare next term under Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils are likely to aim for a top-four finish but they are going to require a big improvement to be successful.
United are used to aiming for the top but they need to be realistic with their expectations as they prepare to embark on the mammoth task of working back towards the pinnacle of English football.
Ten Hag has been brought in on an initial three-year deal but it may take him a lot longer to get his side anywhere near where they were for the majority of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign.
Ferguson, 80, landed his first trophy as United manager with a 1-0 replay success over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup final.
But that moment came at the end of his fourth season with the club and it took a further three seasons for the Scot to land the Premier League title.
Squad issues to solve
Ten Hag, 52, should have plenty of money to spend but the allure of signing for United will be lessened by their absence from elite level European competition.
Many of the players the Dutchman is due to inherit were part of the United team that finished second on 74 points in 2020-21 — but he has problems galore to solve, with the out-of-contract Paul Pogba is set to move on.
Fallen stars
He must also find out why Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes appear to have stopped progressing and discover how to extract more from Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho, who have yet to produce their best in United colours.
Ten Hag is known as a workaholic and is likely to demand greater energy and focus. But while his methods may stimulate a positive response from some United players, others will have to be moved on.
He took very little time to succeed at Ajax, winning the Dutch title and reaching the Champions League semi-finals in his first season in 2018-19.
Little case for the defence
But the challenge of winning titles in the Netherlands, where Ajax have finished in the top two for 13 successive seasons, cannot be compared to the task awaiting him in England.
Getting close to modern-day behemoths like Manchester City and Liverpool will have to wait and the immediate challenge for Ten Hag will be to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and possibly Newcastle.
To do so, United will need to improve in all departments but their defence is perhaps the biggest area of concern.
Their goals-conceded total (57) was the second-highest among the top 10 and 18 of their 57 goals scored were delivered by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Given the state of the club, it would be unwise to expect a dramatic improvement but the new manager, incoming signings and fresh ideas should make a difference.
Spurs qualified for the Champions League with 71 points, with Arsenal missing out on 69, and a total of somewhere between 66-70 for United next season would seem a plausible scenario.
They should at least be in the top-four conversation, even if they do not quite finish in it.
